What to Watch For

2021 What to Watch For — Vaccine Passports — One Step Closer to Tyranny

Marcus Walker Van Every3 Comments
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The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!

[Psalm 111:10]

The division in American society in real and palpable, and while I believe both mainstream and social media outlets thrive by stoking the fires of social unrest, it doesn’t take much to turn one group of people against another.

Whether real or perceived, however, American culture seems to be continually on edge because of white vs. black, blue vs. red, straight vs. gay, young vs. old, cops vs. chaos, male vs. female, “science” vs. religion. You get my point.

And as if that wasn’t enough, the wake of Covid-19 has created even more confusion and therefore division in our culture. We all have had to evaluate and navigate this unprecedented social crisis to the best of our ability, yet unfortunately it hasn’t been without consequence. Now the nation is further divided over healthcare, and it appears that the “new normal” is giving many people, including myself, cause for great concern.

Now the narrative has shifted to mask vs. no mask, open vs. closed, freedom vs. “safety,” vaccine vs. no vaccine, fear vs. reason, civil liberty vs. government overreach. And the list goes on.

As all career politicians know fully well, never waste a crisis. Politicians also know the power of fear and will always use it to their advantage. And unless you want to live in a state of delusion and believe that the majority of men in general — and politicians in particular — are altruistic and seek the benefit of others, then maybe it’s time to wake up and recognize that God-given liberty as we know it in America is on the verge of permanently being taken.

The socialists in control of America are taking a page right out of the old Nazi playbook to begin creating two classes of citizens in order to incentivize blind submission and marginalize everyone else. How are they doing this?

For starters, by implementing vaccine passports.

THE FACTS

The Biden administration clearly has announced its plans to initiate a vaccine passport program in America that will force citizens to show proof of vaccination before returning to “normal” activities in society, such as boarding a plane, entering public venues, restaurants, sporting events, schools, or potentially even the office at work. These vaccine passports are processed on a smartphone app by scanning a digital QR code.

Several other countries, such as Israel, already have implemented such a program and the state of New York launched its vaccination passport system — Excelsior — just last week. The White House has said that it is working with companies in the private sector who will require said passport in order to resume business, and therefore a national, uniform vaccine passport is in order.

Of course, nothing could go wrong here.

Regardless of whether you are pro or anti-vaccine, this should terrify you as an American citizen. Americans have always had the choice to be vaccinated or not. That is not the debate. Even parents who were skeptical about vaccination protocols in the public school system have always had the option to homeschool their children.

The proposed vaccine passport program, however, is an entirely different issue altogether. By attempting to enforce vaccine passports for Americans to be able to operate in society, the government is creating two-classes of citizens by rewarding “good behavior” and marginalizing everyone else. In effect, the government is attempting to mandate vaccines without actually saying they are mandating vaccines.

Just consider what Dr. Leana Wen said just last week on CNN. It is a lengthy quote but worth reading because it summarizes how the left-wing, socialist mind works. Basically, let’s take away people’s God-given rights and freedoms in the name of a “crisis,” and then they will be grateful to the government when getting back just a taste of freedom.

We need to make it clear to them that the vaccine is the ticket back to pre-pandemic life. And the window to do that is really narrowing. You were mentioning about how all these states are reopening. They’re reopening at 100%. And we have a very narrow window to tie reopening policy to vaccination status. Because otherwise, if everything is reopened, then what’s the carrot going to be? How are we going to incentivize people to actually get the vaccine? So that’s why I think the CDC and Biden administration needs to come out a lot bolder and say, “If you are vaccinated, you can do all these things. Here are all these freedoms you have.” Because otherwise, people are going to go out and enjoy these freedoms anyway.

[see article here]

Surely I don’t have to translate. Dr. Leana speaks for the CDC, the World Health Organization, the World Economic Forum, and countless other power-hungry organizations that want to mandate vaccines or at least make life impossible for those who elect against vaccination. These people are deranged and truly believe that average citizens are too stupid to make individual decisions for themselves — such as personal healthcare. No, we apparently are too ignorant to exercise individual freedom so we need big Pharma and big government to tell us what to do, where to go and how to live.

Dr. Noami Wolf, on the other hand, recognizes the seriousness of this trend toward tyranny.

I am not overstating this. I can’t say it forcefully enough. This is literally the end of human liberty in the west if this plan unfolds as planned. Vaccine passports sound like a fine thing if you don’t understand what these platforms can do … It’s not about the vaccine. It’s not about the virus. It’s about your data. And once this rolls out you don’t have a choice about being part of the system. What people have to understand is that any other functionality can be loaded onto that platform with no problem at all. What that means is that it can be merged with your Paypal account, with your digital currency, Microsoft is already talking about merging it with payment plans. Your networks can be sucked up. It geolocates you wherever you go. Your credit history can be included. All of your medical history can be included.

[Dr. Naomi Wolf — Fox Interview — March 28, 2021]
ID2020 Announces Work Is Completed On First-Ever ...

Both England and Israel are calling their digital vaccine passport the “Green Pass,” while IBM and the World Economic Forum are calling it CommonPass. In the end, the goal is to create a global, digital ID system that can track and trace all human movement and activity 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — not to mention streamlining all health, financial, and personal data. The digital ID system is being promoted as a necessary convenience in our ever advancing technological world, yet it wreaks of global tyranny and dystopian oppression.

Clearly the powers that be in America would love to create a two-tiered society in order to exercise total control of one group while socially oppress the other. Thankfully, we are seeing some states push back, which yet gives me hope that America is not yet given over fully to tyranny.

GOOD NEWS

So far at least four states have passed legislation or executive orders that officially ban the gross overreach of vaccination passports. The elected officials in Florida, Utah, Texas and Idaho acknowledge the dangerous and slippery slope created by health passports and are leading the way in protecting their citizens. Hopefully we will see more states follow suit and act accordingly.

Until then, I encourage everyone to consider the drastic and unnecessary consequences that will come with mandatory vaccinations or vaccine passports. Again, this has nothing to do with whether or not you have decided to be vaccinated for Covid-19 or not. This is a much bigger issue — a civil liberties issue and a human rights issue.

Representative Pete Sessions (R-Texas) made sense when he said, “Vaccine credentials would be a complete government overstep. Individuals in America have a personal responsibility for their health.”

As long as I have the freedom to make informed decisions about my personal health and about what goes into my body, then I at least can trust who is making that decision. But the minute I give up that freedom and allow other people to make those decisions for me, then my God-given rights will be lost.

The Bible tells me that all men are sinful and the human heart is deceitful. History tells me that government leaders cannot be trusted to act for anyone but themselves. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. If we don’t stand up against these initial steps of tyranny then we have no one to blame but ourselves when our freedom is stripped away.

Choose wisely my friends.

2021 What to Watch For — The Experimental Covid-19 Vaccine

Marcus Walker Van Every3 Comments

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

[James 1:5]
Vials with a sticker reading, “COVID-19 / Coronavirus vaccine / Injection only” and a medical syringe are seen in front of a displayed Pfizer logo in this illustration taken October 31, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration – RC2JUJ9E758P

As people wait in line to receive their Covid-19 vaccines, I cannot help but wonder if the American people have been educated and informed enough about how this untested, experimental mRNA delivery system works and furthermore if it is safe in the short-term or the long run.

Having a background in journalism and coming from a family of nurses, I feel as if it is my responsibility and obligation to gather and disseminate the information and facts that most people will not take the time to consider. Because we are dealing with complex technical and medical concepts, I will do my best to write in layman’s terms and also provide sources for deeper investigation.

These are the following reasons I am very skeptical and hesitant to trust this new, experimental “vaccine,” and frankly why you should be too.

Reason #1 — Experimental Covid-19 vaccines use a radically new mRNA delivery method

The first reason we should be very hesitant to trust these experimental Covid-19 vaccines is because many doctors and medical experts acknowledge that the developers from the major pharmaceutical companies are using unprecedented technology in the delivery mechanism of these “vaccines,” which is more accurately defined as gene therapy. One of the many doctors who have publicly addressed his concern is business ethicist and professor Dr. David Martin, Ph.D, who said in an interview last month that “mRNA is not a vaccination. It’s a gene therapy that was originally developed for cancer treatment.”

Traditional vaccine treatments introduce an attenuated or fragmented form of a live virus into your body, allowing our amazing God-given immune systems to recognize the virus and build natural immunities against it. This is how traditional vaccines help prevent future infection and transmission of said virus.

The mRNA gene treatment, however, works completely differently by actually integrating the synthetic mRNA delivery system with your cell wall and programming your cells to manufacture the harmful sars cov-2 spike protein.

“The problem is that in the case of Moderna and Pfizer, this is not a vaccine. This is gene therapy” … that sends “a strand of synthetic RNA into the human being and is invoking within the human being the creation of the S1 spike protein, which is a pathogen,” Martin said. “This is not only not keeping you from getting sick, it’s making your body produce the thing that makes you sick … A vaccine is supposed to trigger immunity. It’s not supposed to trigger you to make a toxin.”

[Dr. David Martin — Life Site Article — Jan 25, 2021]

Reason #2 — Experimental Covid-19 vaccines have been rushed to distribution without adequate testing

It’s one thing to use a synthetic mRNA delivery mechanism to manipulate the human genome and change our DNA. It’s another altogether to produce and mass distribute such a radical experimental vaccine in record time without proper trials and adequate testing.

Consider that on average it takes up to 10 years to develop, test, approve, and distribute a new vaccine. Big Pharma pushed the Covid-19 vaccine out in 10 MONTHS! Let that sink in just a minute. 10 MONTHS!

This may be the most alarming reason of all! It is impossible to know how these experimental gene therapies will affect our bodies in the short or long-term. To say that these trials were rushed and there is a lack of clinical studies backing them is the understatement of the year.

When the medical community is usually consistent on following protocol and taking their time on distributing new treatments, why has virtually everyone ignored the normal testing process with these experimental vaccines?

Reason #3 — Experimental Covid-19 vaccines already have produced short-term side effects and deaths

While it may take years to determine what the long-term side effects will be for these new, experimental gene therapies, there already have been reports of serious short-term side effects and deaths due to the “vaccine.”

For example, last month in Norway 23 people died after receiving this experimental vaccine, causing medical officials to question its safety.

“Norway said Covid-19 vaccines may be too risky for the very old and terminally ill, the most cautious statement yet from a European health authority as countries assess the real-world side effects of the first shots to gain approval. Officials said 23 people had died in the country a short time after receiving their first dose of the vaccine.”

[Bloomberg article — Jan 15, 2021]

Considering that the elderly and immune compromised are in the highest risk category for Sars-CoV-2 deaths, it is concerning to see such adverse reactions within that age range. Over 99% of people under the age of 65 will naturally recover from SARS-CoV-2, which renders a vaccine unnecessary. Couple that with proven treatments for Covid-19 using safe and inexpensive drugs like hydroxychloroquine and Ivermectin, many doctors have expressed their frustrations with the suppression and censorship in the medical community to disparage proven treatments that could have saved hundreds of thousands of lives.

Furthermore, almost all experimental covid vaccine trials have proven to be utter failures because of a unique adverse response in the body called antibody-dependent enhancement. Both animal and human trials for coronavirus since 2002 have proven to be fatal and most were abandoned.

Reason #4 — Experimental Covid vaccines most likely will not prevent future infection or transmission

Perhaps the most bizarre information coming from the medical community is that the experimental vaccines being mass distributed likely will NOT prevent future infection or transmission, which is why the likes of Dr. Anthony Fauci — White House chief medical officer — has been quoted as saying that mask mandates and social distancing will be necessarily moving forward.

“In a New Year’s Day interview with Newsweek, Anthony Fauci, MD, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), reinforced the WHO’s admission that health officials do not know if COVID-19 vaccines prevent infection or if people can spread the virus to others after getting vaccinated.2 According to U.S. and WHO health officials, vaccinated persons still need to mask and social distance because they could be able to spread the new coronavirus to others without knowing it.”

[The Vaccine Reaction — Jan 3, 2021]

Are you serious?

Are we supposed to trust that an experimental gene therapy that literally integrates with our DNA and makes our bodies produce the toxic Covid-19 pathogen likely DOES NOT EVEN WORK?!!!

Isn’t that what a vaccine is supposed to do? Prevent infection and transmission?

And yet we are already being told that these radical treatments probably won’t work, so we will have to “mask-up” and social distance indefinitely!

You can’t make this stuff up.

Consider a quote from the horses mouth himself.

“We do not know if the vaccines that prevent clinical disease also prevent infection. They very well might, but we have not proven that yet….That’s the reason I keep saying that even though you get vaccinated, we should not eliminate, at all, public health measures like wearing masks because we don’t know yet what the effect [of the vaccine] is on transmissibility.”

[Dr. Anthony Fauci — Newsweek Interview — Jan 1, 2021]

So we are expected to get an experimental vaccine that may not even work and that will have God-knows what kind of long-term side effects?

Not to mention the fact that variant mutative strains of SARS-CoV-2 have already been identified in the States, which means as covid mutates and builds resistance like all viruses, this particular experimental vaccine will be rendered useless against the new strains.

Reason #5 — Experimental Covid vaccines are being used to push mandated vaccination passports

Maybe the most troubling result of this strategic social experiment is the obvious attempt by Big Pharma and Big Government to restrict our freedoms and even infringe on our basic human rights. The likes of Bill Gates and Tony Blair have been pushing global vaccination passports that will be required before anyone can “safely” and effectively travel and operate in society in the future.

This obviously creates a serious human rights issue, as we are likely to see both private business and government agencies mandate proof of covid-19 vaccination before allowing individuals the right to re-enter society. Nothing screams Orwellian nightmare quite like mandatory vaccination passports.

“Eventually, what we’ll have to have is certificates of who is a recovered person, who’s a vaccinated person, because you don’t want people moving around the world where you’ll have some countries that won’t have it under control, sadly. You don’t want to completely block off the ability for people to go there and come back and move around.”

[Bill Gates TED talk — March 2020]

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is pressuring Great Britain to lead the way in the upcoming G7 Summit by pushing for a mandated universal, digital vaccine passport in order to resume world travel.

Tony Blair (r) and Bill Gates at Davos

Mr Blair said the passport should be digital and capable of tracking and verifying an individual’s coronavirus “status” wherever they travel in the world. Included would be details of any vaccination they had, together with the results of Covid-19 test results. Governments could access data at borders by scanning a QR code, rather than working through reams of paper certificates which might be vulnerable to fraud.

“It’s going to be a new world altogether,” Blair said. “The sooner we grasp that and start to put in place the decisions [needed for a] deep impact over the coming years the better.” 

[Tony Blair — Telegraph — Jan 27, 2021]

All in all, these are but a few reasons to hesitate and educate yourself before rushing to the next vaccine center to get this experimental gene therapy. Needless to say, I am not against all immune therapy. Horrible diseases like polio and smallpox have been all but eradicated using safe and effective vaccines. I am very concerned, however, at the precedent being established out of the manufactured fear and manipulation of the Covid-19 “crisis.”

For more information, I strongly encourage you to watch Dr. Simone Gold’s recent talk here, and visit the website of America’s Frontline Doctors here.

2021 What to Watch For — The Great Apostasy

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And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.

[Mark 4:16-17]

As I shared in my last post, the fires of persecution often spark a spiritual awakening that leads to genuine revival in some of the most oppressed regions of the world. This sword of suffering for Christ cuts both ways, however, and quickly separates the faithful remnant from the many pretenders in the “church.”

What’s more is that when Jesus and the Apostles taught us about the primary signs of the end, they identified an unprecedented time of spiritual deception leading to a mass defection from the faith. As we will see, the Scriptures are clear that before the Lord Jesus comes again, many will fall away and be offended for the sake of Christ.

This phenomenon is known as the Great Apostasy, the falling away, or final rebellion of this age, and as the satanic spirit of this age continues to work in the children of disobedience, the stage now is set for the greatest mass defection from Jesus Christ the world has ever seen.

As Jesus says, “when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” [Luke 18:8]

The Great Apostasy According to Jesus

Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.11And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

[Matthew 24:9-15]

As the Word become flesh, Jesus obviously is our supreme authority in all matters of faith and practice. When it comes to His masterful teachings on end-times prophecy [eschatology], Jesus connects this significant “falling away” with the time of great tribulation. Consider how Jesus describes this coming Great Apostasy in Matthew 24.

  1. All who identify with the name of Jesus Christ — “christians” — will be hated by all nations, persecuted and put to death for His name’s sake.
  2. At that time, many will fall away and choose to save their lives, refusing to suffer and die for Christ by publicly defecting from the faith and renouncing the name of Jesus.
  3. These same defectors then will betray other fellow believers and family members and actively participate in the persecution of the saints.
  4. The lawlessness and social chaos that ensues will create universal distrust, as love for God and our fellow man will grow cold.
  5. Those who remain faithful to Christ and endure to very end will be saved.
  6. The faithful remnant of gospel witnesses — martyrs — will give their lives as a testimony to all nations before Jesus comes.

By using the word “many,” Jesus is implying that a majority of those who identify with Him in the end will not faithfully endure, but only a remnant will be saved. This is the same idea Jesus used in the comparison of the hard road that leads to eternal life and the easy road that leads to destruction. Many will enter the way that leads to death, while only a few will enter the narrow way to life. [Matthew 7:13-14]

On a side note, Jesus uses one of two Greek New Testament words that can be translated “fall away.” Here in Matthew 24 and also in the parable of the sower [Mark 4, Matthew 13], Jesus uses the verb skandalizó, which means “to put a snare (in the way), hence to cause to stumble, to give offense” or “to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey; to cause to fall away.”

The Apostle Paul — in building upon Jesus’ teachings — uses a slightly different word with a nearly identical meaning.

The Great Apostasy According to Paul

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared.

[1 Timothy 4:1-2]

In describing the very same end-times defection from the faith, Paul uses the Greek word apostasia, which is derived from the verb aphistémi. Both of these words carry the connotation of defecting, leaving, departing, or withdrawing from a position once held. This is where we get the word apostasy.

In one of the most comprehensive explanations of Jesus’ teaching on the last days, Paul emphasizes this mass defection from the faith, as untold millions will turn away from Christ to follow the man of lawlessness — the Antichrist. Furthermore, Paul uses the Great Apostasy and the revealing of the Antichrist as definitive signs that must take place BEFORE Jesus Christ will return.

In other words, Jesus Christ cannot and will not come “at any moment,” but rather there are identifiable signs and prophetic markers that must transpire first before Jesus Christ will return. Much to the surprise of many, these signs must take place before the “coming of our Lord Jesus” and the Day of the LORD, which is precisely why Jesus told us to be watchful and ready for His return.

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 2not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God … And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.

[2 Thessalonians 2:1-4, 8]

It is evident that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one and has been blinded by the god of this age. Sadly this will include millions who have identified with Christ, made professions of faith, and become “members” of the church, but who will prove to be self-deceived posers and imposters in the end. Never has there been a more sobering time for God’s people to examine ourselves and measure ourselves by the Biblical qualifications of a true follower of Jesus Christ.

Only those born of the Spirit of God will be able to discern truth from error and test the spirits of our age. Only those born of the Spirit will overcome the world. Only those born of the Spirit will endure to the end and so be saved. [see Luke 12:8-9, 11-12, John 3:1-8]

Which leads me to my final and most important point.

Those Who Belong to Christ Will Endure to the End

Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. 18But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen

[2 Peter 3:17-18]

The idea of apostasy brings with it the age-old debate about the eternal security of the believer and whether or not a person can “lose” his or her salvation. Obviously entire volumes of work have been written from both sides of the soteriological camps on this issue, so let me just cut right through it all and offer a Biblical resolution.

Here is what the Scriptures clearly teach about our assurance of salvation.

  1. Those who have heard the gospel and personally trusted in Jesus Christ have been born again, indwelled by and sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is our deposit guarantee of eternal life. [see John 3:3-8, Ephesians 1:13-14]
  2. Those who have believed in Jesus Christ immediately receive eternal life and have crossed over from death into life. [John 5:24, 1 John 5:11-12]
  3. Those who have trusted in Jesus will never perish and can never be snatched out of His hand. [John 10:28-30]
  4. Those who have believed in God’s only Son can never be separated from his love. [Romans 8:31-39]
  5. Those who believe in Jesus Christ have been born of God and already have overcome the world and will endure to the end. [1 John 5:4-5]

The answer is not complicated in my opinion. True believers in Christ Jesus — those who have been spiritually reborn of God — will never walk away from their Lord and their God. True believers in Jesus — those who have been indwelled by the Holy Spirit — will never abandon their faith in Christ no matter what the cost. True believers in Christ — those who belong to God — can never lose their salvation but will endure faithfully to the end.

And if there was ever any doubt to this truth, the Apostle John puts all the doubts to rest. I am so thankful that we have the full counsel of God’s word to resolve these issues.

The bottom line is this … Those who fall away in the end never belonged to God in the first place.

Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.

[1 John 2:18-19]

2021 What to Watch For — The Great Awakening

Marcus Walker Van Every1 Comment

But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

[Ephesians 5:13-16]

As the days of this present evil age grow darker, the light of Christ burns that much brighter in the hearts and lives of His people. We must never forget that God is always working infinitely and immeasurably more than we could possibly imagine. God’s power is made perfect in the midst of our weaknesses. God is always confounding the wisdom of the world through the offense of the cross.

The awakening of revival most often is birthed out of painful persecution. The deepest and strongest revivals usually come in times of distress and suffering. The blood of the martyrs becomes the seed of the church.

God showed mercy to America with at least two significant revivals at critical times in our nation’s history. But instead of using persecution and calamity to bring revival, He used the power of His gospel to melt the hearts of the people and lead them to godly sorrow and genuine repentance. These revivals were preparing the people for what is to come. The First Great Awakening in the mid-18th Century prepared the nation for the American Revolutionary War for Independence. Preachers like George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards called the people to repentance and faith in Christ.

The Second Great Awakening came in the early 19th Century just before the nation would be torn apart in Civil War. God graciously initiated these revivals to bless and preserve America, which then became a blessing to the nations. We sometimes forget that American missionary movements continue to carry the torch of the gospel to untold millions in the nations.

But as I look at the church in America … the one thing that that has been missing is persecution. Adversity. Tribulation. What will it take to teach us the true cost of discipleship?

What will it take for America to experience a third Great Awakening?

What will it take to turn this nation back to God and awaken God’s people for His glory?

The Voices of Martyrs

And the LORD said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground.“

[Genesis 4:10]

Before I address America’s future, I need to affirm the obvious present reality for millions of Christians around the world. It is estimated that nearly a dozen Christians are being killed everyday for the sake of Christ.

And yet, in a way that only God can do, the LORD is using the evil choices of ungodly men to accomplish His purposes and fulfill His promises according to His perfect will and good pleasure. Nothing is going to stop God from accomplishing His plan to redeem for Himself a people for His own possession from every nation — showing His mercy and compassion to the very ends of the earth until the very end of the age.

The Spirit of God is falling mightily upon refugees in war torn countries and amidst the most oppressed people groups. There is a global awakening in the darkest corners of our world. Our brothers and sisters all over the world are suffering for the namesake of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The church in Northern Africa and in places like Nigeria is fighting to survive ruthless genocide at the hands of Islamic terrorists. The church in Iraq, Syria, Kurdistan and Armenia nearly has been stamped out, but the seed of God remains in His Word and His people, springing to new life out of the ashes. God is faithful to always preserve a remnant.

The church in Iran and China and North Korea and Turkey and Arabia is catching like wildfire under the terrors of tyranny. Underground and grassroots revivals are breaking out within the notorious 10/40 window, with the potential to reach billions of people with the good news. The Great Commission cannot be stopped and the advancement of God’s kingdom will never be extinguished. For Christ has overcome the world and we overcome in Him.

Join me with a prayer for the persecuted church …

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

[1 Peter 5:6-11]

Awake O Sleeper

If our nation is ever to experience another mighty movement of God and a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit, true repentance must take place. Before the nation will ever repent and turn to God, however, God’s people must first repent of our sins and be restored to God. All of the immorality and corruption and perversion and idolatry of America is an offense to the Holy One of Israel, and God’s people are not to be partakers of such evil deeds of darkness. We are called to “come out of her” — separating ourselves from the wicked, demonic system of Harlot Babylon that holds sway over the whole world [Rev 17-18].

But as long as the church participates with darkness, it loses its effectiveness as a light in the world, and instead becomes indistinguishable from the world. This is why judgment must begin with God’s people — His church — before He holds the world accountable for its sin. And the means by which God most often purifies His people is the means of suffering.

Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. 17For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 

18And“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

19Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

[1 Peter 4:16-19]

It is just as humbling as it is sobering to consider how much it truly costs to follow Jesus on this perilous journey through a hostile world. To save your life you must be willing to lose it. To follow Christ, you must take up your cross daily and be willing to die.

If the church in America becomes increasingly marginalized and intentionally demonized, then it will reveal those who pass the test of faith and expose those who are pretenders. Both Scripture and history tell us that as God’s martyrs persevere under trial, God’s light shines brighter for all to see — sparking revival in the hearts of men and bearing witness to the power of God and His gospel.

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the gospel.”

[Mark 1:14-15]

Christ Will Shine

Release of 11,000 lanterns in Poland, a real-life scene ...

My prayer is that when the time of our trouble and persecution comes in America — and it seems to be coming much sooner than later — that we will be prepared to endure and remain faithful, even unto death. We are a people twice born who laid our lives down with Jesus on the cross, having been crucified with Him so that the life we now live in the body we live by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself up for us [Galatians 2:20].

Having already died with Christ, we also have already been made alive in Christ through the Holy Spirit who gives us life. And as we await that Day when Christ comes and raises up our mortal bodies in resurrection power, we gladly offer our bodies as living sacrifices to Him.

If there is to be a spiritual awakening in America, it will be through the witness of God’s people who are unashamed to stand with Jesus when the rest of the world is at war with Him. For we have been redeemed from the world to be His witnesses in the world.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

[1 Peter 2:9-10]

I do believe that not unlike the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost — which was the firstfruits of God’s reclamation of the nations — we will once again see a mighty outpouring of the Spirit sparking widespread revival and awakening sinners to their desperate need for the Savior Jesus Christ [see Acts 2:16-21]. May we be willing to pay the ultimate price to reflect His glorious light to the world, until He comes on that Day to judge the world.

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12So death is at work in us, but life in you.

[2 Corinthians 4:6-12]

My prayer has always been that God would let me live to see a true revival — a God-sized work — and perhaps to play just some small part in His eternal plan of redemption. Lord, let us see the great awakening of the last generation and may we forever give You all the glory!

Even so … come quickly Lord Jesus.

2021 What to Watch For — The Great Purge

Marcus Walker Van EveryLeave a comment

For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

[Mark 8:38]

Now that the Biden Administration is in power in Washington for the next four years, a new era in American history has begun. We have entered an era of relentless censorship, cancel culture, and the systematic silencing of anyone who does not champion the political narrative of the radical left. Not unlike the communist and socialist dictators and tyrants of the past, we are soon to be living in a dystopian nightmare where the designated “thought police” will arbitrarily decide what is free and acceptable speech and at the same time ruthlessly shame and silence anyone who is willing to think for themselves.

The deep state and radical left will undoubtedly pressure their new puppet Joe Biden to crack down on “dissidents” even harder on every conceivable platform. If we think we have experienced an assault on our First Amendment rights — as we say in the South — “we ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”

Here is what to expect now that the political powers have totally shifted into the hands of the most godless people in government.

Top 5 Reasons to Get Excited About THE PURGE Season 2 ...

Radical “Reprogramming” in Education

We can be sure that this new administration will introduce abhorrent curriculum and push their perverse policies on all children in the public school systems and universities across the nation. Under new Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, we can expect universal indoctrination of such garbage as critical race theory and the preposterous promotion of transgenderism in our schools. Any teachers and administrators who refuse to comply will be fired. Any parents who object will be silenced. Any student who doesn’t regurgitate the radical mantras will fail.

Every good communist knows, as Hitler said, “He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future.”

Radical Criminalization of “Hate Speech”

The radical left is not satisfied with simply silencing any alternative voices. They aim to criminalize what they deem to be “hate speech.” The only problem is … who gets to decide what qualifies as hate speech? In other words, many regard the gospel of Jesus Christ as offensive and therefore hate speech. How long before sharing the gospel publicly will be a crime in America?

And if you are so naive to believe that these beliefs only represent “fringe” groups of the radical left, you are living in fantasy land. Michael Goodwin does a great job showing how this agenda is front and center among liberals.

“My prediction is that we are watching the early innings of a movement to criminalize political speech. There already are efforts on the left to criminalize “hate” speech and the next step is obvious: label as hate speech anything the left doesn’t like.”

[Michael Goodwin — New York Post]

Radical Censorship on All Media Platforms

We have already seen how easily the mainstream media and big-tech giants can collaborate to arbitrarily censor free speech, demonetize platforms, fact-check truth, and silence individuals whom they deem “dangerous” or “threatening.” With a monopoly on information and an entire generation who has been raise by Google and has zero capacity to think for themselves, I shudder to think what the next four years will bring. The information machine controls not only the dissemination of information but also the interpretation of it. We have become such shallow thinkers that we need these “gods” of information to tell us what to believe.

As Senator Marco Rubio has said, “We are now living in a country where four or five companies, unelected, unaccountable, have the monopoly power to decide, we’re gonna wipe people out, we’re going to erase them from any digital platform.” In addition to that reality, the imbecilic Senator from New York — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — recently said that she is in favor of creating new government initiatives that will help “rein in” the press. Translation: The radical left wants total control of state-run, state-sponsored media.

This only scratches the surface of the challenges we now face as followers of Jesus Christ.

So what can we do?

Be Ready, Be Unashamed, Be Faithful

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

[1 Corinthians 1:18]

Make no mistake about it. The gospel of Jesus Christ does not meet the community standards of the social media fact checkers. The gospel of Jesus Christ qualifies as hate speech in this godless post-Christian culture. The gospel is quite offensive to the sinner, and therefore we can expect the cancel culture to silence us, censor us, and criminalize us as “hate mongers” in the new America.

First, we can’t be surprised when this fiery trial comes upon us as if something strange were happening. This must be expected. We must be prepared. Jesus reminds us that He did not come to bring peace but a sword of division. Jesus warned us that this would happen to all who acknowledge Him before men.

Second, we must never be ashamed of Jesus Christ and His gospel. Our Savior bled and died for us, while we were still His enemies. The very least we can do is be willing to be reviled and persecuted for His name’s sake.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 

[Romans 1:16]

Lastly, we must remain faithful to God, seeking to please Him before any man or government or big-tech giant. Without faith it is impossible to please God. In the end, it is God to whom we must give an account of our lives — not man. May we live in such a way that we are able to stand before God on that Day of judgment and be rewarded for our faithfulness and devotion to Him, no matter what the cost.

We will not be silenced!

“We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.“

[Acts 5:28-28]

Maranatha!

2021 What to Watch For — The Great American Revolution

Marcus Walker Van Every1 Comment

“When you hear of wars and revolutions, don’t be terrified! These things must happen first, but the end will not come immediately.”

[Luke 21:9]

As I write this, there is a surreal and sobering reality that dominates my mind.

What I am about to say is simply my perspective of where we are as a nation.

Without being overly dramatic or being held captive by the moment, this is where I stand at the present.

Our nation as we know it effectively is over. One way or the other, America will never be the same after this. Possibly for the good. Possibly for the bad. Either way, something big is happening. Something that will forever change the fabric and future of our country. A monumental shift has taken place in America, and there will be no going back.

Call it revolution. Call it civil war. Call it the great purge. Call it whatever you want.

All I know is that we had better brace ourselves for what is coming — for what is already happening.

Could we be witnessing the beginning of another American revolution?

These are the Facts

Facts seem to be at a premium these days. With the coordinated efforts of social media big tech censorship combined with the fake news machine of the mainstream media, it has become increasingly difficult — almost impossible — to get the facts. We have become inundated by misinformation, deception and confusion to the point that it’s hard to know what to believe anymore.

So I will do my best here to simply lay out the facts in concise fashion to demonstrate how our nation got to this point.

Donald Trump Shocked the World by Winning the 2016 Election Against All Odds

No one can deny the fact that Donald Trump is an enigma — an anomaly — and he was not supposed to be part of the equation. How could an arrogant, playboy billionaire with no political experience ever have a chance to become president of the United States? I dare say few saw it coming, and yet Trump shocked the corrupt Washington establishment by defeating Hillary Clinton by promising to “make America great again.” Apparently there were enough American people who were fed up with the lies and corruption of the proverbial swamp and who wanted to preserve the precious God-given rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

The Washington Establishment and Media Moguls have attempted to bring Trump down from Day 1

Even before Donald Trump took office, there was an all-out, coordinated attempt to destroy him. Just think about it. It literally has been Trump representing the American people against the corrupt establishment. One man, attempting to drain the cess pool of the swamp and expose the treasonous actors behind the deep state.

Trump’s enemies include all career politicians at every level of government from both political parties — including past presidents — the Department of Justice and CIA, all mainstream media moguls and their networks, all social media moguls and their platforms, big tech, public educators and universities. China, Iran and the European Union hate Trump. Even many people in his own cabinet and on his own staff were compromised and turned against him. He virtually has no one he can trust.

Just consider a sampling of what Trump has had to endure since taking office.

  1. The Fake Russian collusion scandal — not only proven to be a false and totally fabricated story but in reality the real Russian collusion was being carried out by Barak Obama and Hillary Clinton in a coordinated effort to sabotage Trump, even before he took office.
  2. The blackmailing and framing of General Michael Flynn, Trump’s director of National Security Adviser.
  3. The bogus Mueller investigation — almost two years wasting millions of tax-payers money to prove that Trump was innocent of Russian collusion
  4. The baseless Ukraine scandal — interestingly it is Hunter and Joe Biden who seem to be connected to trading political favors to Ukrainian oligarchs for money
  5. The first impeachment attempt — another waste of time and taxpayer money. Trump was quickly acquitted by the Senate because of the baseless claims of “abuse of power.”
  6. COVID-19 — Trump was blamed for shutting the nation down, then blamed for not shutting the nation down. Trump is being blamed the one responsible for all American Covid deaths.
  7. Social Justice riots — Trump somehow was blamed for being a racist dictator when he insisted on maintaining law and order, while the corrupt politicians and mainstream media encouraged the violence and the burning down of American cities.
  8. Election fraud — overwhelming evidence that the 2020 election was a coordinated effort to steal the presidency from Trump, who received nearly 75 million votes — the most for any incumbent in American history. The statistical anomalies alone prove that there was massive fraud in the 2020 election. Consider that the total number of votes cast exceeded the total number of eligible voters in the U.S., along with an abundance of hard evidence that the outcome of this election cannot be trusted.
  9. The theatrics of the storming of the U.S. Capitol building — another coordinated attempt to blame Trump for “insurrection” and for inciting violence and sponsor terrorism.
  10. Big Tech companies (Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, Google) have coordinated together to censor and completely silence President Trump in an unprecedented assault on the 1st Amendment to the Constitution.
  11. The second attempt to impeach and/or immediately removal from Trump from office with less than two weeks left in his term. No president in U.S. history has ever been impeached twice.

The Corrupt Washington Establishment will do ANYTHING to Remain in Power

Here we are with less than a week left in Trump’s term, and yet the Washington establishment is still attempting to destroy Trump.

My question is … WHY?

If they already “won” the election and Trump is on his way out the door, then why would Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer be trying to impeach him again and accuse him of insurrection?

I know the narrative is that Trump’s enemies vow to make it impossible for Trump to ever be able to run again for political office again, but I don’t believe that is why they are trying to bring him down when he is already on the way out of the White House.

I believe the Washington establishment is scared to death. I believe they know that Donald Trump has the proof and power necessary to expose them for all the years of unchecked corruption, lies, blackmail, immorality, fraud, and organized racketeering that has made them rich. I believe Trump has the evidence to expose high-level government officials and media moguls of crimes against humanity and crimes of treason and sedition. Crimes against America.

Perhaps this is why these people loathe and despise Donald Trump so much. He is not one of the “good ole boys.” He isn’t bought and compromised like 99% of Washington. He doesn’t play their sick and demented games because he doesn’t have to. Trump is hated because he is an outsider, and from day one he was never welcomed in Washington. They hate him because they can’t control him.

As the most powerful man in the world, who now has classified information about all the political crimes being carried out in American media and government, he has the power to expose these wicked and evil rulers for who they are. That is why they want to destroy Trump. I believe they will do anything to keep their place in power, and they have proven as much.

What Happens if Trump Exposes Everything?

What if Trump beat them at their own game?

What if Trump purposefully allowed all of this to transpire to the very end so that he could catch all of these career criminals in the act of treason and sedition and crimes against humanity?

What if Trump is about to declassify all the evidence at his disposal and reveal once and for all to the American people who these godless criminals really are by exposing their deeds of darkness.

Consider the classified information that Trump now has at his disposal.

  1. Julian Assange and the Wikileaks data breach of declassified information
  2. Hillary Clinton emails
  3. Anthony Weiner laptop
  4. Ghislaine Maxwell’s testimony about the Epstein pedophile network and flight logs
  5. Hunter Biden’s laptop
  6. Nancy Pelosi’s laptop — taken during the staged “siege” of the U.S. Capitol building

Fox News Analyst Sean Hannity said just two days ago that the contents found on the Hunter Biden laptop alone will be enough to “shock the soul of this nation.”

Watch Here

With less than one week remaining in Trump’s presidency, many are wondering if Trump is finally going to play his “Trump Card” and declassify everything for the American people to see for themselves.

If he does, then we could see high-level government officials arrested and tried for treason, sedition and crimes against humanity. We could see the biggest scandal in American history be exposed before our very eyes.

All I can say is … you better brace yourselves. If this happens in the next week, then our nation will be thrust into chaos like we’ve never seen before. Martial law is almost sure to follow. Riots will erupt and the entire nation will be forced to choose who to believe and whose side they are on.

This could be the beginning of the Great American Revolution.

Be sure to turn on your emergency alert notifications on your mobile devices.

Fill up with gas and stock up on essentials.

Have a plan to protect your family if things go dark.

And Pray like never before.

Have mercy Lord Jesus.

2021 What to Watch For — The Global Reset

Marcus Walker Van Every5 Comments

Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.

[Revelation 13:17-18]

The world is changing at an exponential rate that is inconceivable and impossible to keep up with. I call this comprehensive transformation of our world the great convergence — as all things in this present age are hurtling at warp speed toward the same point in spacetime. This “omega” point will be the culmination of this age and the climax of redemptive history, when Jesus Christ returns to the earth to establish His kingdom and make all things new.

In other words, Jesus effectively will “reset” the world, regenerating all of creation and ushering in the Messianic Age of God’s kingdom on earth. This is the Day all believers are longing for.

Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world [regeneration], when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. 30But many who are first will be last, and the last first.“

[Matthew 19:28-30]

However, before Jesus returns to establish His throne and initiate His new kingdom on earth, there will be a counterfeit kingdom established on earth that will be under the authority and control of the devil — otherwise known as the god of this age and prince of this evil world system.

The Scriptures are clear that prior to the triumphant return of Jesus Christ, the devil will have at least 42 months (3.5 years) to unite and rule the kingdoms of this earth with global governance and control, as he will transfer all of his power and authority to one man — the beast [see Revelation 13:5-8].

Whereas many have envisioned how this final evil empire will be established in the last days, few could have foreseen a future when the prominent nations and elite oligarchs of the world would first manufacture and then take advantage of a global “crisis” in order to initiate the alignment of a globalist dystopian nightmare.

I am referring to what is being called the “Great Reset” by the United Nations and the World Economic Forum, and I am very concerned by what I see.

You should be too.

WHAT IS THE GREAT RESET?

In the wake of the COVID-19 “crisis,” many world leaders have suggested that a total economic reset is in order that effectively will transform the world economy by replacing “shareholder” capitalism with what is called “stakeholder” capitalism. In short, the Great Reset is an attempt to confiscate all private property and eliminate the financial freedom of individuals by transferring the world’s wealth to a small group of elite investors and private companies, who will then decide how the world’s financial resources are used and disseminated to the rest of us.

If you don’t believe me, go read it for yourself from the World Economic Forum official website.

https://www.weforum.org/great-reset

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/06/now-is-the-time-for-a-great-reset/

These globalist oligarchs are not trying to hide their intentions but proudly announce them to all, but my question is why now?

And their answer is simple. According to the Untied Nations and the World Economic Forum, there are at least two unique global crises that require a global reset and new world order.

  1. COVID-19 and subsequent global pandemics
  2. Climate change

These problems are so systemic and insurmountable — they say — that it in order to save the planet and preserve the general welfare of the greater good, individuals must be willing to relinquish their individual autonomy and pursuit of happiness and submit to this new system of global governance. In other words, the Great Reset is Big Brother on a global scale, the likes of which make George Orwell look like a modern day prophet. The Hill does a good job summarizing this plan here.

Just in case you might not understand what this nefarious agenda is all about, the Great Reset is the same old lie being repackaged for mass consumption. It involves mass redistribution of wealth, profit sharing, mass data gathering and sharing, big tech synergy and censorship, global surveillance, digital identity, public indoctrination and reeducation, oppressive environmental regulations, medical mandates on vaccinations, as well as medical passports.

“During the COVID-19 crisis, companies, universities, and others have joined forces to develop diagnostics, therapeutics, and possible vaccines; establish testing centers; create mechanisms for tracing infections; and deliver telemedicine. Imagine what could be possible if similar concerted efforts were made in every sector.”

[Klaus Schwab — Founder of World Economic Forum — https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/06/now-is-the-time-for-a-great-reset/%5D

These global elites believe — like all arrogant narcissists — that human beings are poor, ignorant, mindless consumers who are self-destructive and dangerous to themselves and others. Therefore, we need them to come and “save us from ourselves” because they are smart and rich and know what is best for the rest of us.

In other words, the Great Reset will attempt to place all resources in the hands of a few elite globalists who then determine what the rest of us can have and how we can use it, and beyond all of that, we should be grateful for what they give us because they have saved us from ourselves. Such is the demented and sick mind of the so-called “ruling class,” and for the first time in the modern era, these evil elites see their opportunity to initiate their grand plan, using COVID-19 as an excuse to change the world as we know it.

For the record, I am not saying that the World Economic Forum and the United Nations are the manifestation of the end-times kingdom of the beast described in the Bible, but what I am saying is that this evil agenda — left unchecked — inevitably will contribute to development of that final world system under the antichrist.

You had better watch for the advancement of the Great Reset in 2021 and be informed. Your life could depend on it.

For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

[Ephesians 5:12-17]

My Top 5 Predictions for 2021

Marcus Walker Van Every2 Comments

He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand.“

[Daniel 12:9-10]

The popular movement of modern-day “prophets” is suspect at best in my estimation, as men and women who supposedly possess the prophetic gift make bold predictions that rarely come to pass. The Biblical warning to those who speak presumptuously for the LORD is indeed sobering, yet many of these so-called prophets of today seem to disregard the gravity of their claims.

‘But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ 21And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the LORD has not spoken?’— 22when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.

[Deuteronomy 18:20-22]

Now I am not saying that the prophetic gift of the Holy Spirit has ceased completely. I believe that all the gifts of the Spirit are still viable to operate in and through God’s people in accordance with God’s word, even though the “sign” gifts of tongues, healings, miracles, and prophecy have been grossly abused by charlatans in the church [see Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12–14].

I have never claimed to possess the prophetic gift myself — inasmuch as that gift includes the ability to foresee the future — and therefore I will not presume to speak a word from the LORD other than what has been revealed in the written, prophetic word — which is quite sufficient.

So for my final post of 2020, I will not be attempting to predict the future or prophesy over 2021 with specific details. However, in a general sense, there are many things we can and should expect in 2021 that the Bible unequivocally reveals. Furthermore, the mission and purpose of the church never changes until Jesus Himself rends the heavens and comes down to reign as King of kings. Until that Day comes, our job remains the same.

These are my top 5 predictions that we need to prepare for and that we are sure to see in 2021.

#1 — The True Remnant of Believers will be further Set Apart from the World

I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.

[John 17:14-15]

The call to follow Christ is the call to be set apart — separate from the evil world system that dominates this present age. God is calling His people to “come out” of Babylon before she falls — forsaking her immoralities and vain pleasures. The darker the days become and the more wicked this generation grows, the cost to follow Christ will be more than most are willing to pay.

As those faithful to Jesus Christ become more resolute in their love and devotion to God, the world around us will grow increasingly more hostile. The spirit of antichrist will always manifest in merciless hostility and hatred for the LORD and His Messiah, resulting in all forms of persecution and tribulation for the faithful.

Of course, we live in a day when Christians are being persecuted at an unprecedented rate — especially in parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia. But it will not stop there.

No matter how intense the opposition, God’s remnant always remains. The Lord always preserves for Himself a faithful remnant who only bow the knee to the Lord Jesus. What believers may lose in numbers, we gain in our resolve and strength in the Spirit to endure and overcome in the end, never denying our Lord Jesus Christ!

All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, and as the world presses down harder on us, many will not be willing to pay the high price of following Jesus Christ and will depart from the faith. In an attempt to gain the world and save their lives, many will forfeit their very own souls.

Apostasy and compromise are nothing new in the scope of redemptive history, but the Scriptures are clear that in the latter days, there will be a mass defection from the true faith, leaving only a remnant of God’s children on earth. As the fires of persecution burn hotter, God’s remnant will pass through the flames only to be presented as a pure, white bride, shining brighter than the stars of heaven.

Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 

[Matthew 24:9-13]

2021 will further separate the wheat from the tares [Matthew 13] and the sheep from the goats [Matthew 25], as we approach the final harvest at the end of the age.

#2 — Mass Spiritual Deception will Increase

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,2through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared.

[1 Timothy 4:1-2]

I have written extensively this year about the coming spiritual deception and the manipulation of the masses by the spirt of this age that is at work in the sons of disobedience. Only those who are sealed with the Holy Spirit and possess the mind of Christ will survive the coming deception. Only those who possess the divine wisdom of the Holy Scriptures will be able to identify falsehood and contend for the true faith.

Everyone else will be led astray to exchange the truth of God for a lie and become blinded by by god of this world. Confusion and chaos will continue to cloud the minds of unbelievers, while God’s children will possess divine wisdom to see things as they truly are.

By simply taking a brief inventory of how the majority of the world receives and processes information, it is inevitable that the principalities and powers of evil in the heavenly places have a monopoly on the masses, deceiving the whole world. Consider what dominates and controls the minds of our present age.

False religions and cults, heretical church movements, biased public education systems and liberal universities, the godless scientific community and it’s religion of evolution, fake news from the mainstream media, corrupt career politicians and big government, Hollywood entertainment and television programs, music media and radio programs, superficial social media platforms and big tech companies, including the GoogleAppleAmazon monster itself.

The only remaining beacon of light in this world comes from the remnant of true believers in Jesus Christ who are bold enough to preach and teach the truth of the gospel and stand on the authority of God’s holy Word.

They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

[1 John 4:5-6]

#3 — Significant Geopolitical Changes in Israel and Middle East

Israel is God’s chosen land and people for a reason. The promises the LORD has made to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will be fulfilled. This means that Israel serves as God’s prophetic timepiece and the key piece in God’s prophetic puzzle.

Once Israel returned to the land and the nation was reestablished in 1948, the prophetic clock began ticking again for the first time in nearly 1,900 years.

Now that the Trump Administration has initiated the Abraham Accords — normalizing relations between Israel and many of her surrounding Muslim neighbors — the geopolitical landscape is quickly changing for the first time in 70 years. These new accords are significant in laying the ground work for a new Middle East.

On the flip side, perennial powers like Turkey and Iran continue to loom over the region as ominous clouds of darkness. Iraq, Syria and Kurdistan have become a political vacuum that inevitably will be filled. It is just a matter of time before there is regional conflict in the Middle East, and Israel will be squarely in the middle of it all.

O God, do not keep silence;
do not hold your peace or be still, O God!
2For behold, your enemies make an uproar;
those who hate you have raised their heads.
3They lay crafty plans against your people;
they consult together against your treasured ones.
4They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;
let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”
5For they conspire with one accord;
against you they make a covenant—
6the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
Moab and the Hagrites,
7Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,
Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
8Asshur also has joined them;
they are the strong arm of the children of Lot. Selah

[Psalm 83:1-8]

#4 — Labor Pains will Intensify

And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

[Matthew 24:4-8]

I shared earlier this year that the COVID-19 crises if anything represents one of the initial birth pains of the last days — perhaps a “Braxton Hicks” contraction — that God is using to get our attention. After nearly a year of the “new normal,” I stand by this assessment and believe that the disruption and confusion and government overreaction to this virus has set a precedent that will only get worse in the future.

Will we be faced with more viruses in the future? Certainly. Will world government leaders continue to use their power to overreach and dictate the lives of the people? Absolutely. Could global economic collapse be the next shoe to drop? Probably.

Based on what we learned in 2020, any of these scenarios are not only possible but probable. Furthermore, we must take into account the potential for more insurrections, revolutions, and wars to emerge out of the chaos. If we then incorporate the potential for famines and food shortages worldwide, it is easy to see a future that is plagued by these coming labor pains.

All we know about the analogy that Jesus provides is that once labor begins, it is irreversible. The contractions will grow more painful, more frequent and more intense as time draws near. And although the coming labor pains are daunting and even disheartening, we must never forget what they are leading to.

The coming of the Son! The return of the Lord Jesus!

Jesus reminds us of the joy we will have on that Day when He comes again — mighty to save!

Aware that they wanted to question Him, Jesus said to them, “Are you asking one another why I said, ‘In a little while you will not see Me, and then after a little while you will see Me’? 20Truly, truly, I tell you, you will weep and wail while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21A woman has pain in childbirth because her time has come; but when she brings forth her child, she forgets her anguish because of her joy that a child has been born into the world.22So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

[John 16:19-22]

#5 — Endless Opportunities for Evangelism will Emerge

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

[Acts 1:6-8]

So my predictions for 2021 can be viewed in a negative light but there is always a silver lining in the coming storm.

Yes, 2021 will further identify and separate God’s faithful remnant from religious pretenders.

Yes, 2021 will further advance the satanic agenda of spiritual deception and manipulation of the masses.

Yes, 2021 will further reveal the new political alignments in the Middle East and set the stage for the time of Jacob’s trouble.

Yes, 2021 will further demonstrate the growing intensity and frequency of the labor pains leading to the great tribulation and triumphant return of Jesus.

Yet in light of all of this, 2021 will also lend itself as one of the greatest opportunities in our lifetime to be witnesses of Jesus Christ and proclaim the gospel to the whole world.

Even though billions are blinded to the truth, they still have a strong sense of fear and trepidation that something is happening on a global scale. Even those who have no knowledge of God and the gospel still understand the concept of the end of the age and the great apocalyptic ending of human history. Even those who deny Christ will not be able to deny the intensity of the labor pains and the fragility of this life.

This is our greatest hour as God’s children to use the prophetic events of our day as natural bridges into gospel conversations. When the world is afraid and uncertain about tomorrow, we have the opportunity to give them hope and peace in Jesus Christ. When the world is confused and in darkness, we have the chance to bring them into the light of Christ and the truth of His gospel. When the world only hears the bad news from every outlet, we have good news to give!

Prophetic evangelism will continue to be one of our most powerful tools in witnessing to this generation. We must continue to pray for opportunities and divine appointments to shed the light of the gospel on a dark world.

This is our time to rise up and be bold witnesses for Christ yet full of compassion and grace toward those around us.

If there is anything I can predict about 2021, it is that we will continue to have opportunities to bring as many into the kingdom as possible, and it is up to us to be obedient to the Great Commission to the very end of the age!

At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. [5]Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

[Colossians 4:3-6]

Let us take advantage of 2021 and make the best use of the time for the days are evil. This may be our last chance to see Christ change the world before it is too late!